Cold-Blooded Speed-Painting

[kiwichild]

Kiwichild’s Lizardmen speed-painting.

I’ve been out of the gaming loop for almost 5 years now, apart from Space Hulk, since moving to Japan with my wife. Although I’ve been doing my Genestealer Cult and some Squats for sheer hobby fun, I decided I need a break from them and am embarking on a new plog. I will come back to the Cult at a later date, but I need to try something new because I’m running low on motivation.

Purpose, what will this plog be about? Lizardmen speed painting! That’s right speed painting. My Cult is my baby and I have no problem spending hours painting up claws or 5 stages of highlights on a single colour. That being said it does get quite tedious and long winded, hence a speed painting project. I am working towards a 1000pt list and will launch a second stage to bring it up to 1500pts and a third stage to 2000pts.

Motivation, well the main drive of this plog is to get a 1000pt gaming force done and on the table. In the past month I was contacted by Arnond, as he is trying to set up a small scale tournament for fantasy players here in Japan. Arnond is based near Tokyo and I am in Nagano, on the map it’s a short distance but getting there involves jumping a mountain range or going around it. The idea of playing the games at the nearest GW has been floated and that shop is pretty close to my sister-in-laws place. So the idea is to drive down with the missus, drop her and her sister off on a shopping expedition and then leg it to the GW and play some fantasy!

Goals, to get 1000pts of Lizardmen on the table, roll some dice and start spilling some warm-blood. This will be a gaming army and not a display project, hence speed painting. The models will be done to tabletop level with more time being spent on characters. Transport will also dictate some choices on equipment. I don’t want too many spears and banner poles that can snap on the way to Tokyo. I will also try to keep the size of the army to a manageable size to cut down on the amount of stuff I have to lug around on the way to and from Tokyo.

Inspiration, I bought a Lizardmen army box-set about 6 or 7 years ago. This was before the introduction of the battalion sets, so I got a heap of basic infantry and some special choices. The box has sat in storage ever since while I eyed different projects. I have always wanted to try dipping as it seems to work really well on Lizardmen. However dipping is smelly and messy, this combined with a wife and small apartment, the possibility of doing dipping has been dropped to preserve domestic harmony. Then came the release of the new GW washes, beautiful! The main shading part of this project will fall on them.

Paint scheme, all the figures will start with a Tamiya fine scale spray, this is a light gray basecoat, scales will be done blood red, weapons will be dwarf bronze, teeth and claws are bleached bone. A 60/40 mix of Gryphone sepia and Badab black will make the wash dip followed by some minor dry-brushing of scales and weapons with blood red and shining gold. Details like eyes, teeth and claws will be picked out to give the figures some more pop. Weapon hafts and handles will get bestial brown and bubonic brown.




This wee chap will get a blowpipe alittle later.

Note: The base colours have been done with Tamiya paints and the dry-brush is GW. Bases are yet to be done, so what colour bases would compliment this colour scheme?

Riding beasts or large creatures will be painted in a different scheme, at the moment I’m still deciding on this. Currently I’m looking at base-coating them in a desert yellow and using a brown for scales. Any input and ideas would be great. Base wise I’m going to go for an all gravel base with Woodland Scenic’s grass scattered around in clumps. Colours for the gravel will start from a gray to a bleached bone, again input or suggestions would be helpful.

Stage 1

Heroes: 1 Saurus Scar Veteran, 1 Skink Priest.
Core: 19 Saurus (full CMD), 10 Skink Skirmishers, 10 Skink Skirmishers.
Special: 3 Kroxigors, 5 Cold One Cavalry.

Total miniature count: 49

This stage will give me the basis of the army and following stages will give me a wider range of units to play around with when I make new lists.
Still to do: 19 Skinks, will scrap mouldlines, glue and base them over the next couple of days.
Painting schedule, base-coated miniatures are playable that being said they look stink so onto the speed painting. My work schedule leaves me with free time on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday nights + Weekends, Thursday/Friday nights are taken up with other work, but allow me an hour or two for dry-brushing/detailing. After assembling the stage one models, I’ve found I can spend about 3 hours a night before needing a decent break and wind-down. Therefore I’m trying for around 9 hours per week. Weekends are subject to availability, poker games/nights out/BBQs/ shopping trips and general domestic/marital duties have the potential to distract me.

(I am posting this from work and will update pics later today)

edit - viola done

[Asylsoekande]

oooo, interresting! Them painted models up top look ace - AND they're speedpainted, me likes!

[Dino]

I can bearly tell that those are washed. Nice work. I'll be watching this with great interest.

[Jormi_Boced]

Looking good so far!

[guygarner]

I really like the color scheme. Great Job!

[N810]

Ya gotta love those new washes.

[kiwichild]

oooo, interresting! Them painted models up top look ace - AND they're speedpainted, me likes!

Speedpainting is a nice break, it also cuts down on the whole 'I'm not satisfied with that colour' syndrome, it's bloody relaxing actually. Thanks for your comment.

I can bearly tell that those are washed. Nice work. I'll be watching this with great interest.

I'll try and take a shot of the underside of the skink, all the extra wash pooled under the necklace. It looks like a giant blackhole! That being said you don't notice it looking down onto the table. Thanks for your comment.

Looking good so far!

So far, so good. I'm kinda chuffed with them. Actually looking forward to painting more of them. Thanks for your comment.

I really like the color scheme. Great Job!

The scheme's pretty quick and easy, I did buy some GW paints to do the other figures. The Tamiya paints can be abit inconsistent. Thanks for your comment.

Ya gotta love those new washes.

Yep, they make me feel like I can re-create the Mona Lisa with them and crayons! Thanks for your comment.

Thanks for all the positive feedback Any thoughts on basing schemes?
Cheers
Kiwichild

[Meraklis]

looking good kiwichild!
I am glad that Armond contacted you otherwise I would have done so
Looking forward to seeing you sometime soon in Tokyo.

[Cassarus]

Oh Look it's kiwichild
It's good to see you in these parts to!
Your lizards looks good so far.
I will follow this thread with great interest

[Armond]

Oh yes!!! Nice work man, glad you are interested and looks like you will be getting those done in good time!

I like the colors you chose, well done!!!

Can't wait to see them done, in person!

[stephan harkon]

awesome army idea and painting, consider me subscribed...

[kiwichild]

First Painting Update (22/4/2010)

It’s been a week since I started this plog, so it’s time to see what I’ve got done. Here in Japan, it’s spring with pelting rain and gale force winds, it even snowed last friday. Perfect spray painting weather, that being said I have retreated indoors and picked up the brushes. Week 1 has seen the Kroxigors go from basecoat to almost done:

Here’s the almost done pictures.

This is what they looked like before their wash.

Oh, here’s the light-box I jimmy rigged to use:

All up I spent around (with drying time), 3 hours on Tuesday and 3 hours on Wednesday, taking them from the gray spray to the almost finished stage. Still to do, blood red dry-brush, shining gold highlight on the bronze bitz and spend some time on the bases.

Next week, time to start up on the Saurus block me thinks.

I have run out of gray spray and need to buy a can of desert yellow for the cold ones, have booked a trip to the local hobby shop for sunday. I managed to get the cold-one riders, heroes and command figures sprayed before the weather turned, so I’ve got a nice set up. Am hoping to get the skinks scraped and assembled this week, all the teachers in my year section have gone to Kyoto and Nara for a school trip. With the teacher’s office to myself, I’ve decided to bring the skinks to work and kill some time.

And on to replies,

awesome army idea and painting, consider me subscribed...

Thank you for joining in, I'm hoping to update weekly so check your subscription.

Oh yes!!! Nice work man, glad you are interested and looks like you will be getting those done in good time!

I like the colors you chose, well done!!!

Can't wait to see them done, in person!

Cheers Armond, having a goal to work towards is great motivation. Thanks for helping me getting back into the fantasy swing of things. Have to look into carry cases. Let's try to have a game in May.

Oh Look it's kiwichild
It's good to see you in these parts to!
Your lizards looks good so far.
I will follow this thread with great interest

Hey there Cassarus, long to time no see, what are you up to hobby-wise these days?

looking good kiwichild!
I am glad that Armond contacted you otherwise I would have done so
Looking forward to seeing you sometime soon in Tokyo.

Thanks mate, it's good to know I'll be able to get some games in. What's your May schedule looking like?

(final pics and an edit will be done after work or in a couple of hours if I can weasel out early today)

[Cassarus]

It sure been a long time kiwichild!
I'm currently building a Vampire counts army, make sure to check it out ^^
Right now I'm building a prototype black knight, but that's for my thread :P
I'm really looking forward to see you army progress, I am a big fan of your previous work you know

Cheers!

[Dino]

Kroxigors look very cool. I like the Light-box. Reminds me of mine but yours is way bigger. Keep up the great work.

[Armond]

Good deal bro, soon I will be working on a Dryad based Wood Elves list. I will be using wash/dip to make it a quick bit of work, mostly so I can have another 1000 points of another army so others can participate. Looking to demo some games over the next few months to non-WHFB players and try to recruit and stir some interest!

But once again, great job!!!! Your stuff looks good and is definitely astounding based on the time spent on them!

[Pitalla Crimson]

aLRIGHT! Thats a nice and simple colour scheme which is very stimulating! Will make sotek proud!

Cant wait to see the colour scheme of the bigger creatures.

[Armond]

Hey kiwi, just checkin up on your log!

We are looking to get together this next coming month. I was just curious how you were coming along and all!

I would like 4 of us to get together to play a few games and whatnot. I will try to arrange some type of small 1000 point tourney in the next few months. But i have to get some interest generated.

There is a group of guys who game in Tokyo, but they mostly play 40k. If we can get the Fantasy stirred up there, then I can work on getting a small tourney to be run! I want there to be at least 8-10 people and have 3 games that day! If we can get more than 10, it would be nice! I would even work to have prizes and such, but would just want mostly to have peple to get together for a day of Fantasy!

Anyway, hope all is progressing with your army! Good luck!

[kiwichild]

It sure been a long time kiwichild!
I'm currently building a Vampire counts army, make sure to check it out
Right now I'm building a prototype black knight, but that's for my thread
I'm really looking forward to see you army progress, I am a big fan of your previous work you know
Cheers!

Checked out your Black Knights, love the green stuff robes. Those Blood Knight models are amazing, although my favourite is the corpse cart! Thanks for the compliment.

Kroxigors look very cool. I like the Light-box. Reminds me of mine but yours is way bigger. Keep up the great work.

Cheers, I bought a couple of extra lights for the side lighting, you can see a difference in this update's photos. Picked up some daylight bulbs for them today, so the next photo shoot will be a trial for them.

aLRIGHT! Thats a nice and simple colour scheme which is very stimulating! Will make sotek proud!
Cant wait to see the colour scheme of the bigger creatures.

Yes Sotek be praised, This week's painting should get the coldones done and they are the trial for the larger stuff. I am hoping to update around wednesday-ish. Thanks for the comment.

Good deal bro, soon I will be working on a Dryad based Wood Elves list. I will be using wash/dip to make it a quick bit of work, mostly so I can have another 1000 points of another army so others can participate. Looking to demo some games over the next few months to non-WHFB players and try to recruit and stir some interest!
But once again, great job!!!! Your stuff looks good and is definitely astounding based on the time spent on them!

Hey, hey I think this technique would work brilliantly on a tree kin/tree man/dryads force. Maybe start from a mid brown as a base coat (tamiya might do a spray like that?), drybrush a light brown, wash 'em up and then give 'em a light dry brush with a bone colour. You could pop some foliage on them when you do the bases. Viola.....1000pts and no risk of carpel tunnel syndrome.

Hey kiwi, just checkin up on your log!
We are looking to get together this next coming month. I was just curious how you were coming along and all!
I would like 4 of us to get together to play a few games and whatnot. I will try to arrange some type of small 1000 point tourney in the next few months. But i have to get some interest generated.
There is a group of guys who game in Tokyo, but they mostly play 40k. If we can get the Fantasy stirred up there, then I can work on getting a small tourney to be run! I want there to be at least 8-10 people and have 3 games that day! If we can get more than 10, it would be nice! I would even work to have prizes and such, but would just want mostly to have peple to get together for a day of Fantasy!
Anyway, hope all is progressing with your army! Good luck!

You again! Cheers for cracking the whip, I'll be down in Shinjuku for a wedding on the 15th-16th of May, I think a game will be out of the question. That being said I'll probably swing by the shop on a shop and scoot mission. I'll give you a call when I get some times, do you go to the shop in Ochanomisu or the one in Nakano? I like the sound of what your planning and I found a bus company that does a cheap round trip to shinjuku an back to my town. Guess it's time to look into carrying cases.

Onto the update.........

[kiwichild]

Second Painting Update (26/4 to 7/5/2010)

Right sorry for being a week late on this one, what can I say life got in the way. There has been some progress though:

Skinks

These wee chaps have been assemblied, based, Base-coated and had their reds/bronzes done. Am running low on bestial brown, so they will have their eyes done this week. Should get a new pot of bestial in the coming weekend.

Saurus

Reds and bases done. Not shown -- shields base coated and olive drab stage. I have decided to go with olive drab on the shields for a contrast and to tie the lizardmen units in with creatures and riding beasts.

Command group and charactors

Pretty much the same stage as the Saurus.

Cold One Cavalry

Everybody is base coated and ready to get a lick of paint.



So there we go every model is based and base-coated. I can field 3 core, charactors and 2 special choices on a table. This update is a bit of a retrospective one, I'll update again this week as many of the units have had some serious changes since these photos were taken.

Cheers and thanks for dropping by.

p.s. Sorry for the double post, I wanted to address comments first and then drop a photo bomb. Please forgive me oh kind and gracious MODs

[Dino]

Cold one scales need to be a different color. Maybe a light purple, or maybe some other color other then red or orange. Do you use bestial brown for the leathers?